Coupler with buffer



Sept. 24 1929. a. F. coucH COUPLER WITH BUFFER 2 Sheets-Shem 1 Filed July 28. 1927 gwwm ioz Sept. 24, 1929. a. F. coucH COUPLER WITH BUFFER Filed July 28, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 arm/1x2114 011 6/?0/7 I @7047? l atented Sept. 24, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GLEfiN r. ooUeH, or ROGHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR 'ro THE SYMINGTON com- PANY, or NEW YORK, 1v. Y., A CORPORATION or MARYLAND GOUIPLER WITH BUFFER Application filed July 28, 1927. Serial No. 208,974.

This invention relates to railway draft appliances and, more particularly, to a buffer adapted for being mounted above a coupler such as usually employed at the front of loco- 5 motives and the rear of locomotive tenders.

The principal object of my invention, generally considered, is the provision of a coupler and buffer assembly preferably involving a pocket member or casting, a coupler and a bufier support or intermediate member, said coupler and support being connected to and pivotally mounted with respect to the pocket member, said support being preferably provided with means for pivotally mounting an associated buffer thereon, and means for causing said support to angle in unison with the coupler.

An object of my invention is to provide a coupler swiveled with respect to a pocket member such as is generally employed at the front of a locomotive or the rear of a locomotive tender, said coupler having mounted thereabove, a buffer assembly preferably involving an intermediate member swiveled with respect to the pocket member but serving for connecting the coupler thereto, said buffer proper being mounted on the intermediate member with provision for permitting independent angling thereof.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a buffer devlce for use with short shank couplers swiveled in associated pocket members, said device involving a coupler support likewise pivotally mounted on the pocket member and adapted to angle in unison with the coupler, the top of said support being formed for pivotally mounting the buffer proper thereon, and means being provided for locking said butler proper in place on said support and for preventing upward removal or downward drooping thereof.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a pivotally mounted coupler with a buffer, said butter comprising a buffer block and intermediate member, the latter of which is preferably pivoted to angle in unison with the coupler,- means being provided for interlocking saidintermediate member with respect to said coupler, the upper portion of said intermediate member being formed as a hollow pivot lug, the lock lifter chain for sald coupler being adapted to extend therethrough when assembled, said buffer proper being pivotally mounted thereon and held in place by a rivet or the like applied after assembly to cause the parts to interlock while permitting angling between the buffer and intermediate member, said buffer being formed with rearwardly flaring flanges which extend on either side of and cooperate with an upstanding lug on the intermediate member to limitangling therebetween.

Other objects and advantages of the invent1on relating to the particular arrangement and construction of the various parts will be come apparent as the description proceeds.

Referring to the drawings illustrating my invention, the scope whereof is defined by the appended claims= Figure l is a plan of a coupler and buffer embodying my invention and assembled with an associated pocket member.

Figure 2 is a side elevation, the pocket member, buffer and a portion of the buffer support being shown in vertical section.

Figure 3 is a plan of the coupler and pocket assembly such as shown in Figure 1, the buffer proper eing removed and a portion of the buffer support being shown broken away. I

Figure 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical sectional view on the line 44 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view on the line 5-5 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical sectional view corresponding to Figure 2 but showing a modification.

Referring to the drawings in detail, like parts being designated by like reference characters, an first considering the embodiment of my invention illustrated in Figures 1 to 5, inclusive, there is shown a coupler and buffer assembly 1 particularly adapted for applica tion to the pilot beam of a locomotive. Said assembly comprises a pocket member or casting 2 adapted for connection with the pilot beam and a bracket casting 3 by bolts or rivets as will be understood. Associated with the pocket member 2 is the coupler 4;, the stem 5 of itO which is received in the pocket or cavity 6 in the member 2 and pivotally mounted therein as by means of a pivot pin or the like 7 extending through registering apertures 8 in the casting 2 and a corresponding aperture 9 in the coupler stem. The apertures 8 in the casting may be bushed as indicated at 10 and the lower portion of the pocket casting 2 may be provided with a forwardly extending flange or web 11 underlying the coupler head and engaging a downward extension 12 therefrom to prevent drooping of the head. The pin 7 may be locked in place and prevented from undesired removal by any suitable means such as the cotter shown extending through the lower end thereof.

Pivotally mounted on the pocket member or casting 2 by means of the pivot pin 7 is an intermediate member of buffer support 13. Said support is preferably formed with downwardly extending webs 1 1-, the lower edges of which are provided with inwardly extending flanges 15 which are adapted to engage on eitner side of and embrace complementary outstanding flanges 16 on the horn 17 of the coupler, as most clearly shown in Figure 5. This engagement between the members not only serves to cause the intermediate member or coupler support 13 to angle in unison with the coupler but interlocks the parts together with respect to vertical movement, that is, it tends to hold the support down upon buffing forces being applied to the associated buffer proper 18.

The forward portion of the buffer support 13 is provided with an upstanding hollow pivot boss 19 through which the lock lifting or uncoupling chain 20 of the coupler is adapted to extend, as shown most clearly in Figure 2. The forward portion of the boss 19 is preferably provided with a forwardly extending lip or flange 21 which may taper toward the sides thereof and be disposed relatively higher than the remainder of said boss. The purpose of the lip 21 is to extend over the edge of the apertured portion 22 of the buffer 18 and hold the same in position. The aperture 22 in said buffer is-prefe 'ably elongated, as shown most clearly in Figures 1 and 2, so that it may be initially applied over the boss 19 and lip 21. After such an application and assembly, the buffer 18 is locked with respect to the intermediate member or support 13 by means of a rivet, bolt, cotter or the like 23 applied across a portion of the aperture 22 behind the pivot boss 19 so as to restrict the opening 22 and prevent subsequent removal of the buffer 18 from said pivot boss by holding the buffer 18 rearwardly so that the lip 21 extends overthe aperture portion of the buffer and removal thereof is pre-. vented.

In order to prevent drooping of the buffer as well as limit angular motion thereof with respect to the intermediate member or support 13, said buffer is formed with rearwardly diverging flanges 24 connected by an arcuate web 25 extending rearwardly from the lower portion of said buffer. The intermediate member 13 is provided with an upstanding lug 26 formed with a forwardly extending lip or flange overlying the web 25 when the buffer 18 is normally positioned and standing between the diverging flanges 24. It will be appreciated that the lug 26, therefore, not only limits angling movement of the buffer 18 with respect to the intermediate member 13 but upward movement of the flange 25 is limited by engagement with the flange or lip 27 on the lug 2 6.

teferring now to the embodiment of my invention illustrated'in Figure 6, a construction is there disclosed involving a pocket member or casting 2 to which is pivotally mounted a coupler 5 and buffer support or intermediate member 13 as by means of a pivot pin 7 as in the preceding embodin'ient. The only difference betwen this construction and that of the previous embodiment is that the coupler pocket member here disclosed is particularly adapted for connection at the rear of a tender rather than at the front of a locomotive, the attaching web 27 thereof extending upwardly to a greater distance for this purpose and the downward extension below the lower apertured wall of the pocket is omitted. Gtherwise the construction may be substantially identicalwith thatof the first embodiment so that the present embodiment is only fragmentarily illustrated.

From the foregoing descriptiontaken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be appreciated that I have devised a coupler with an associated buffer particularly adapted for use on the front end of a locomotive or rear end of a tender, provision being made for permitting the butter to angle independently of the coupler while, by virtue of the interlocking engagementbetween the buffer support or intermediate member and the coupler, the same is caused to move bodily in unison with the coupler. By providing such a buffer, the liability of anassociated passenger car butler to ride over the engine or tender coupler and thereby injure. a switchman standing on the engine or tender is obviated. Sucha buffer also serves to protect the lock lifting mechanism as well as the switchman, as it will be clear that the buffer will. engage the buffer on the associated car and prevent undesired movement thereof.

Having now described my invention, I claim: r

1. In combination, a pocket member, a coupler, a bufier support, means pivotally connecting said coupler and support to the pocket member, and a bufler pivotally mounted on said support. V i;

2. In combination, a pocket member, a coupler, a buffer support,'means pivotally III Connecting said coupler and support to the pocket member, means extending between said support and coupler for causing the same to move in unison, and a buffer pivotally mounted on said support.

3. In combination, a pocket member, a coupler, a bufler support, means pivotally connecting said coupler and support to the pocket member, said support being provided with an upstanding pivot boss, a buffer provided with an elongated aperture receiving said pivot boss for pivotally mounting the same thereon, said boss being provided with a forwardly extending lip adapted to engage said buffer and prevent removal thereof, and lockin means restricting the area of said opening in the buffer after assembly with the support for preventing undesired removal thereof.

4. In combination, a pocket member, a coupler, a bufler support, a pivot pin insertable through registering openings in the pocket member, the stem of the coupler and the rear portion of said support for pivotally connectin the same, means interlocking said coupler and support for causing the same to pivot in unison, a buffer removably mounted on said support, and means connecting said buffer with respect thereto.

5. In combination, a coupler pocket member adapted for connection to associated rolling stock, a coupler, a buffer support, pivotal means insertable through registering apertures in the pocket member for pivotally connecting said coupler and buffer support thereto, means extending between said coupler and support for causing the same to pivot in unison, the upper portion of said support being formed with a pivot boss forwardly flanged at the front edge of its upper portion, a buffer formed with a longitudinally elongated aperture receiving said boss and applicable over the same and the flanged portion thereof, and means for locking said bufler in place on said boss comprising a rivet extending transversely of the aperture and restricting the rearward portion of the same after application to the boss whereby it is held frbm undesired removal with respect thereto.

6. In combination, a pocket member, a coupler, a buffer support, means pivotally connecting said coupler and support to the pocket member, said support being formed with an upstanding pivot boss, a buffer formed with a longitudinally elongated aperture receiving said boss for pivotally holding the same therein, said boss being provided with a forwardly extending flange at its upper front portion adapted to engage said bufler and prevent removal thereof, and locking means on said bufler engaging the rearward portion of the pivot boss to force said buffer rearwardly so that the flange on said boss overlies a portion thereof and prevents undesired removal with respect to said pivot boss.

7. In combination, a pocket member, a coupler, a buffer support, means pivotally connecting said coupler and supportto the pocket member, said support being formed with a pivot boss and a correspondingly apertured buffer pivotally mounted on said pivot boss, said buffer being formed with rearwardly diverging flanges and a lug extending upwardly from the support between said flanges for limiting angling of said buffer with respect to said support.

8. In combination, a pocket member, a conpler, a buffer support, means pivotally connecting said coupler and support to the pocket member, said support being formed with a pivot boss and a correspondingly apertured buffer pivotally mounted on said pivot boss, said buffer being formed with a rearwardly extending substantially horizontal arcuate flange, said support being provided with an upstanding lug with a forwardly extending flange at its upper portion overlying the arcu ate flange on the buffer for limiting upward movement thereof.

9. In combination, a pocket member, a cou pler with a horn, a buffer support formed with a pivot boss for connection with an associated buffer, a pivot pin insertable through registering apertures in the pocket member and corresponding apertures in the rear portion of the coupler and supportfor pivotally connecting said members, flange means depending from the support on either side of the horn of the coupler, said horn being provided with outstanding flanges engaging said flange portions on the support, the lower portions of said flange portions on the support being formed with inturned flanges underlying the flanges on the horn of the coupler for limiting vertical movement therebetwcen and causing said support to angle in unison with the coupler.

10. In combination, a pocket member, a coupler, a buffer support, means pivotally connecting sald coupler and support to the pocket member, said support extending longitudinally with the coupler, overlying the horn thereof and provided with a hollow pivot boss with the opening therethrough registering with the lock lifting opening through the horn of the coupler, whereby said coupler may be operated by lock lifting means extending through said boss, and a buffer pivotally mounted on said boss.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

GLENN F. COUCH. 

